Leonardo da Vinci vs Michelangelo: the immersive and interactive experience at the City of History

Published by Graziella de Sortiraparis · Updated on September 29, 2026 at 02:51 p.m.
À partir du 10 octobre 2026, la Cité de l'Histoire vous transporte à la Renaissance pour assister au choc de deux titans. Cependant, rewritten in English but keep structure and tags: Starting October 10, 2026, the City of History takes you back to the Renaissance to witness the clash of two titans. Through the immersive experience Leonardo vs Michelangelo, discover the rivalry between these genius artists who stood in opposition in Florence. 360° video mapping, virtual reality, reconstructed workshops, and an interactive battle in the metaverse await you beneath the Grande Arche at La Défense.

The Cité de l'Histoire invites you to travel back to the Italian Renaissance to witness the clash of two geniuses. Through the immersive experience Leonardo vs Michelangelo, dive into the artistic, philosophical, and personal rivalry that pitted these two towering figures against each other in Florence at the dawn of the 16th century, brimming with talent yet hardly inclined to see eye to eye, from October 10, 2026.

Thanks to a high-tech staging by the Layers Of Reality studio, this new eight-room route traces the arc of these two visions of art, following César or Victor Hugo. Dive into Italy in this space beneath the Grande Arche at La Défense, a visual experience that aims to transport you into the Florentine workshops, amid sketches, unfinished sculptures and mechanical inventions, where you’ll move between rival works, wall to wall!

The Mona Lisa, the David, the Sistine Chapel ceiling unfold around you, from floor to ceiling, in a 360° video mapping, before sweeping you over Florence in virtual reality, headset affixed, and then you push open the doors to the two masters’ studios. Life-sized immersive sets also await, featuring nearly 200 reproduced works, spanning sketchbooks, machines, anatomy plates, marble dust, and shears from the other side.

A genuine interactive journey, this duel invites you to take a side, room by room, between Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, notably through a Battle Royale in the Metaverse. It’s a way to spark art history interest in younger visitors, or simply to enjoy an immersive show that’s sure to dazzle.

Take the opportunity to explore the rest of the City of History, where you can experience the centuries as if you were right there!

La Cité de l'HistoireLa Cité de l'HistoireLa Cité de l'HistoireLa Cité de l'Histoire La Cité de l'Histoire, our test of the immersive French History experience at La Défense
Ready to plunge into the great History of France? The first Cité de l'Histoire is opening its doors in La Défense's Grande Arche, with a fun, immersive tour of our shared past. [Read more]

Practical information

Dates and Opening Time
Starts October 10, 2026

× Approximate opening times: to confirm opening times, please contact the establishment.

    Location

    1 Parvis de la Défense
    92800 Puteaux

    Route planner
    Accessibility info

    Prices
    Tarif réduit: €15.99
    Plein tarif: €20.99

    Official website
    www.cite-histoire.com

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